


For what has been done cannot be undone

by kittybenzedrine



Series: Timelines [45]
Category: Original Work
Genre: F/M, Leo Is A Good Boyfriend, Past Abuse, Past Rape/Non-con, Past Relationship(s), Past Sexual Assault, Protectiveness, Threats of Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-24
Updated: 2018-12-24
Packaged: 2019-09-23 23:34:51
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,836
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17089856
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kittybenzedrine/pseuds/kittybenzedrine
Summary: Renee's really shitty, abusive ex gets out of prison and won't leave her alone, and Leo isnothaving it._____All pieces of the Timelines series are standalones and can be read without context.





	For what has been done cannot be undone

**Author's Note:**

> Was originally a short in a larger piece, but I broke said work up and make them their own works. This has been edited from its original piece.
> 
> Also title is From Florence + The Machine. I may or may not have been listening to Seven Devils when I titled this.

Leo's never been very privy to kids. He doesn't like them. He barely tolerates his godchildren, though they're more tolerable now that they're getting older and can verbalize their issues rather than just screaming for an hour straight. Unfortunately, the only woman to catch his fancy since his wife's passing about six years ago is a package deal. Renee comes with a kid. A two-and-a-half-year-old hellion named Rachel. She's no worse than the average two year old, but they're still pretty bad. And he doesn't like kids, but he likes Renee and he's willing to give her a try. She's well aware that if the kid- Rachel, he corrects- becomes too much, he's dipping out without any guilt. But things have been pretty good in these seven-ish months together.

Things have been really good, actually. Other than the occasional maternal obligation pulling her away such as her kid projectile vomiting, she never really skips on dates or blows him off. There have been a few sleep-overs filled with fantastic sex. Excluding one tantrum, the aquarium date where he met Rachel went well. Leo's very much into Renee. She seems to be equally invested. That, and she's yet to make a single joke about him becoming a step-father. He can appreciate that.

When his phone buzzes on the coffee table one afternoon, he correctly assumes it's Renee. Perhaps she's inviting him over for dinner? She'd mentioned making steak sometime in the week and hinted that it would be just for the two of them.

He greets her when he picks up, and immediately notices something is off in her tone.

"Hey, you home?"

Leaning back into the sofa, Leo zones out on the wall. "Yes? What's up?"

"You willing to come spend the night tonight? Possibly a few nights?" Her voice is oddly even, almost forcefully controlled. She sniffs once, and he thinks he can hear something like Rachel crashing around in the background. Perhaps she couldn’t get a babysitter?

"Of course. Is something wrong?" he asks, sitting up a little straighter. It sounds like there’s something more wrong than not being able to find a babysitter-

"Bring your concealed carry."

Alright. If she didn't already have his attention, she certainly does now.

"What's wrong?" He's already moving, shoving off of the couch cushion and heading back to his bedroom to pack up a bag. He doesn't like this, not one bit. She's been adverse to him bringing any guns around the kid, because well, she's a kid and kids are stupid. Even if it's unloaded Rachel could still hurt herself if she got a hold of it. He asks again if she’s alright, and she lets out a shaky breath.

Renee is quiet for too long after that. He's close to checking to see if the call dropped when her voice finally comes, small and tight.

"Sam got out today."

Oh.

Samuel. His last name is something long and Polish, obnoxious to spell, but Leo can get someone to find it for him. Violently abused Renee from ages seventeen to nearly twenty, forced himself upon her more than once. Rachel's no good piece of shit biological father. Dear Samuel only got three years for his crimes, and the worst of the sentencing was for the abuse and not the rape. He's out early, if Leo's math isn't wrong.

"His mother already broke the restraining order by coming to my door today to gloat about it. The cops won't do anything." She sounds on the verge of tears.

"I'm packing as we speak."

  


  


  


  


  


  


There's a little maroon car parked on the curb when Leo pulls up, and he can pinpoint the woman in it as Samuel's mother. He can tell by the faint curl to her lip, the same look Rachel gets when she's annoyed. He ignores her in favor of staring down the little blonde chickenshit in the passenger seat, maintaining eye-contact with Samuel until he has to break it to get to the front door. He’d flash his gun, but knowing the shitty police in this town, he’d get in more trouble for brandishing than these two would for breaking their restraining orders. Leo only gives an obligatory 'taptap' to it before letting himself in to the oddly unlocked door. He locks the bottom lock before pushing it shut.

Renee looks like she's going to wear a hole in the floor with all of her pacing. Her eyes are red, and even from across the room, Leo can see red marks where she's been digging her nails into her arms. He tilts his head just slightly, listening. The faint sounds of megablocks being tossed around and Godzilla-esque roaring echo out from Rachel's room. Good. She doesn't need to see her mother like this.

Dumping his bag on the floor, he crosses the room and stops her frantic pacing. She's shaking when he pulls her into a hug and a single sob manages to make its way out of her before she stifles herself. Her nails dig into his back as she hyperventilates into his shoulder.

"Come sit," Leo instructs softly, walking himself backwards towards the couch.

Renee is practically in his lap once they sit, her hand fisted into the front of his shirt. He rubs along the line of her back, hoping that it's at least a little bit soothing.

"I tried to go to my brother's," she tells him without prompting, bringing her knees up. "But Mary- Sam's mom- she came at me screaming bullshit as soon as I opened the door, and Caleb isn't in a position where he can come help me at the moment. I- I don't want them to know what Rachel looks like so I bolted back in."

Leo merely nods, unsure if she wants input or if she just wants to speak.

"And Sarja can't come do anything either, she's five feet of soft. Sar’s all bark. So I asked you. I don't want Rachel exposed to any of this, especially not him." He can hear her choking up again. "Those are questions I don't want to answer for a long time, not even a watered down 'he's bad and he hurt Mommy'."

He brushes his lips against her forehead. "No need to, not now. I can deal with him."

"I'm  _terrified_  of him," she forces out, burying her face into his shoulder.

A quiet cry escapes her when a heavy knock echos off the door, though she manages to staunch that one as well. He smooths a hand through her hair, pressing his free hand to the holstered gun at his hip. This will be dealt with, no bullets necessary. But the gun is good for one job right now: being more scary than Samuel.

He has her go to another room, somewhere out of sight. If she wants to listen, fine, Leo’s not going to stop her. But someone has to be able to block Rachel off in case she decides to wander out, and he certainly can’t do it. Once he’s assure Renee is out of the way, he unlocks the door and answers the continuous knocking.

Using one of his boots, he keeps the bottom of the door braces as he faces Samuel through the small gap of the open door. The little blonde shit is scowling on the other side and tries to push his way in, but neither Leo nor the door move.

“Who the fuck are you?” Sam snaps, trying once more to force his way in.

Leo stares at him, long and hard before telling him, “None of your concern.”

“Where’s my daughter?” he practically growls out. It’s meant to come out as aggressive, but from Leo’s point of view, it’s just pathetic.

“No one’s daughter here but my own.” A bluff, and they both know it.

For a third time, Sam tries to shove the door open. That finally gets Leo to drop the unfazed expression, curling his lip to show off one of his canines. Stupid little fucker isn’t going to give up.

“You need to leave.”

Sam makes a face, probably tying to look intimidating, but he just ends up looking constipated. “I’m not going anywhere until Ren comes out here and talks to me.”

With the way Sam is blocking the view to the street, Leo’s not afraid to lift his shirt in just the slightest. Sam’s eyes flit down to the gun, and he visibly pales some. But he puffs up his chest, like this is some fist fight in the high school parking lot and not a man threatening him with a loaded gun.

“You think I’m scared?”

“You think I haven’t killed a man with this?” Leo asks, dropping his voice so low that only Samuel can hear him. “You think I haven’t ended someone’s life with this, without an ounce of remorse? You think I wouldn’t end _yours_?”

He has not, in fact, killed anyone with this particular gun. He’s more of a knife person. More discrete. Less traceable, if you know what you’re doing. And though it wasn’t with this gun, he has most certainly ended many lives before. But Sam has a lot less color in his face now, so Leo knows he’s doing his job well enough.

“Renee likes dangerous men,” he continues, “and my brand of dangerous is far scarier than yours. I wouldn’t and _won’t_ hand any problem torturing you worse than anything you can imagine. For hours, for _days_. I will hurt you beyond belief and leaving you for dead, Samuel. So I’d suggest you get the fuck out of here while I’m still pretending you’re in my good graces.”

“I’ll- I’ll come back with friends,” Sam threatens, taking a few steps back.

“ _So will I_ ,” Leo hisses out, and that’s all he gets out before Sam sprints back to his mother’s car.

He closes the door and locks it before settling his shirt back over his gun. Creepy little asshole. Renee rounds the hallway after a moment, her face devoid of color. She heard Sam’s threat, he’s presuming.

“I’ll stay the night tonight,” he tells her, tone much softer than it was moments before. “After that, how do you feel about a little vacation? Nothing big, but a week out at my place. Just the three of us.”

She swallows, opens her mouth to protest.

“I can have a few friends watch your place, of course. A few of the boys would be more than happy to stay the week and keep an eye on things.” To distract, he adds, “You know I own a few acres, right? Plenty of room to have nice little nature walks, either alone or with Rachel. Something nice. We can go down to the beach and to tourist stuff. It’ll be lovely.”

Renee hesitates, and he notices her hands shaking. But she nods after a moment of silence, nods and rests her head on his chest.

“Okay,” she says, quiet enough that she can barely be heard. “Okay.”

**Author's Note:**

> This is v ouch and I'm sorry.
> 
> I'm always super appreciative of comments and kudos, it's great to hear from you folks!
> 
> I have [my blog](http://iwillpooponthefloor.tumblr.com) on tumblr, if you'd like to check that out, though it's mostly unrelated content.
> 
> Thanks for reading!


End file.
